Explaining the Special Teams Penalties

Special teams coordinator Danny Crossman broke down the issues involved.

Sep 8, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. (6) runs onto the field before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Hard Rock Stadium. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The new dynamic kickoff rules implemented this season present a whole new set of challenges for NFL special teams players.

Some players are adapting better than others.

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While it's not why the Miami Dolphins are off to a disappointing 1-2 start, this has been an issue for them. The team was flagged five times in the first three games for illegal formation because it moved before the kickoff was either fielded or landed.

"This is something that we talked about going into the season," special teams coordinator Danny Crossman said, "You get veteran players who are used to playing the game a certain way and for six or seven years."

"The ball is kicked off and you're a kickoff return player and you're so ingrained of having to get your depth and your width and whatever your drop zone is, you're retraining the brain to the ball is kicked, I can't move. So you have six or seven years of training on doing something, you got to remind them on the sideline, hey we're not moving until the ball is caught or hits the ground."

Three of the penalties were committed by reserve linebacker and special teams player Anthony Walker, Jr.

"For years and years guys have been trained to play the game a different way and with the new rules you got to adapt and we've got to adapt quicker."

Crossman discussed the illegal formation penalties the Dolphins have been flagged for. However, he did not identify Walker by name and did not suggest that Walker could be replaced soon because of the penalty issues.

"I'm not going to identify and talk about one single penalty. That's just the philosophy that I and we have," Crossman said. "They're going to go in different buckets, and then you're going to account for them based on what those things are.

"The ones that you don't like are the pre-snap and post-snap penalties. Those are the ones that if they get egregious by anybody, those are things that you're going to have a major issue with."